Putting skids under an Optimist

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richardabeattie

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Just got an Optimist (fibreglass) for the urchin to learn on. Came with good launching trolley but our beach is rocky. Any reason why I should not drill through the bottom of the hull and fit sacrificial wooden skids?
 
Yes, coz' they'll leak !

Maybe not a big deal in a dinghy with buoyancy tanks, but bear in mind the shearing action on bolts as one pulls the boat up and down slipways / beaches - I suggest flexible Sikaflex ( beware the stuff is relatively expensive and starts to solidify as soon as you open the tube - there are dodges but that's about it ) and alloy strips beneath the wood, available from good old fashioned hardware stores like Bunce's - these last surprisingly well.

But only drill through the hull if you really think it necessary.
 
Well as Seajet says they may leak. And as an Oppy has no self bailer you are expecting the Urchin to shift EVEN MORE water than they already need to because they are sailing a boat that is shaped like a brick into waves.

It may also affect re-sale value. It may also affect race rules if its going to go in a race. You may think its kids racing it won't matter. The Optimists come with measurers at their events, and on the water measurers, and measurers to calibrate the measurer.* I guess you aren't at the point of thinking about that stuff. But it means if you in 2 years time are thinking about a race, you may well need to upgrade the boat which might actually have been OK till then.

You'd also have the bolt head sticking through the hull for urchin to kneel or sit on.

BUT ...

sacrificial strips on rocks are useless. On sand they may serve a purpose, on concrete slips they certainly do, on rock you can pretty much be certain the rock will find the gap between the strips and damage that.

They are remarkably robust boats. I had the unfortunate experience of hitting one the other week (just never saw it). "Perfect t-bone". Stopped me dead in the water. Massive bang. Was certain I'd have damaged both my boat and theirs. Came ashore after the race. My blue hulled boat has a small while mark from their boat on it. We can't even see where I hit them...


*While I scorn at their officialdom - they have been focusing more on safety. And there are 3 things they look at on every boat:

- Painter. Oppies don't have a particularly good tie on point for a tow line. So its better that they provide the tow line. And it needs to be long if you have multiple oppies to tow. But it doesn't need to be thick - 5mm is enough. A long painter may also be useful for getting an Oppy away from the shore line to stop it hitting rocks. IOCA ask for 8m, so most people fit 8.1m.

- Mainsheet fixing. They use a quick release clip so that you can very quickly remove the mainsheet and turn the mainsail into a powerless flag. Again handy on the beach. There were a number of boats being rigged with a snap clip that a strap on a buoyancy aid can catch and suddenly Urchin is accidentally attached to the boom. Needs either a snap shackle or a claw clip. Using another at the bottom of the mainsheet assembly will allow rigging of a 2:1, 3:1 or 4:1 configuration depending on wind strength- that can be changed on the water if need be. Thats helpful for small kiddies with limited muscles. Also make sure the strop on the boom doesn't create an entrapment hazard - guidance is it shouldn't have more than 10cm gap between boom and blocks.

- Bailers. IOCA ask for 2. i think so if 1 gets damaged or lost you can still bail. They need to work while still tied on. As I said above - no self bailer - so this is important.

Not a measurer thing - but beware the mast attachment. If you capsize an oppie and the mast comes out the step at the bottom it puts a horrific load on the thwart where the mast goes through. Expect to damage thwart and mast. Make sure the mast is secure enough it can't lift out.
 
ShinyShoe,

agreed; if anyone thinks racing keelboats like X's and Swallows are snotty to get in the middle of, even Nelson with gun crews on both sides might have been bemused by a fleet of Oppy's yelling the odds and taking no prisoners ! :)
 
Another thing to consider. Socialising is an important aspect with kids sailing, even if they don't want to race, although many do want to.
Having a boat with skids on the bottom is bound to attract ridicule, a bit like having trainer wheels at a bike club.
My grand daughter had a bow bumper on her first Oppie, soon removed when the other kids starting asking if she intended ramming them. Good natured banter but it still hits home.
 
How about plating the undersides with 1mm aluminium sheet? It'd only add about 6 kilos to the overall weight, and what child would be ashamed of having an armoured boat? :)
 
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